After a confusing beginning the story becomes much more interesting and the second half of the novel is definitely much better than the first. The strength of this novel does not lie in the mystery or detective storyline but in the description of post war Oxford and the lives of its people. Taking a real writer as a protagonist is always risky, but the author does pull it off because the character remains credible at all times. The feisty female characters also contribute to the enjoyment of the story. What I like about this kind of fiction is that I find out all kinds of real details about what life must have been like then, so if you enjoy that sort of thing, this may be a book for you.

Very easy to read, a page-turner and a real sense of Oxford, a city I know well. Where has a very promising female student in post-World War II Oxford gone? She has impressed her tutor - one CS 'Jack' Lewis, and befriended a young woman working at the OUP. Together, they investigate, and uncover a conspiracy involving unmarried women and their babies. This definitely shows the other side of Oxford.

With thanks to NetGalley and Swift Press for an ARC.

In 1940s Oxford, C. S. ‘Jack’ Lewis is drawn into the mystery of his missing student, Susan Temple. Aided by Susan’s friend Lucy and her father, they track Susan down to Rake Hall, a ‘home’ for pregnant unwed mothers.

However, Rake Hall is more sinister than it seems and Jack and Lucy are dragged into Oxford’s underbelly in their attempts to find Susan and save her.

The premise is an interesting one although it felt incongruous at the beginning and it took me a while to get into the novel.

As an Oxford local, I enjoyed the setting. I was also glad to see C. S. Lewis portrayed as generally pro-women. However, I didn’t always find the characterisation or the dialogue convincing, perhaps because of the combination of fact and fiction. Knowing that the author’s mother was in a mother and baby ‘home’ in Oxford, I also expected more of the plot to be based on true events.

A new take on cosy crime.

Its 1947 in post WW2 Oxford. C.S. 'Jack' Lewis (author of many religious works as well as The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is teaching and has become concerned because one of his brightest students, Susan Temple has ceased attending lectures and for the last few lectures she looked 'different'. Ever wary of being seen to take an interest in young women whilst being a single man, Jack makes discreet inquiries.

Meanwhile, Susan, who is pregnant after being taken advantage of while drunk, has decided to enter Rake Hall, a local home for unwed mothers. She has taken Lucy Standen into her confidence. Lucy's father Alfred is a Scout (sort of servant) at Oxford and didn't report Susan when he saw her leaving a gentleman's rooms after curfew. When Susan allegedly leaves Rake Hall without notifying Lucy she is concerned and reaches out to Jack. Together they uncover a black-market trade in adoption of babies.

I recently read a murder mystery featuring Virginia Woolf and it didn't really work for me. Strangely, although this follows a similar premise, a famous real-life writer solving a mystery, I liked it much better. Although I felt it a bit obvious with some of the inferences that events/thoughts influenced C.S. Lewis' Narnia series (just look at the names of the other characters) - which reminded me of that advert way back suggesting that George Lucas based his Star Wars characters on people he saw on campus while at college, I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved this mystery read. Based on a real institution this is a really good read.

I loved the telling of the story and the characters were fabulous. i loved getting to know them.

The story has an air of real life as there are names the reader will know and based in Post War Oxford the author brought to life the time beautifully,

I cannot wait to see what she offers for her second book but this one will be hard to top